Scarlet Lady by Virgin Voyages Preview

16 August 2018

And one of his promises to future ‘sailors’ is that everything ‘is going to be five-star, but fun. And not at five-star prices.’

by Caroline Hendrie

No passengers or cruisers, only sailors. Richard Branson is brimming with new ideas for his first Virgin Voyages ship, Scarlet Lady, named after one of the earliest planes to fly in his Virgin Atlantic fleet.

The first of three ships in the Virgin Voyages line, Scarlet Lady, currently under construction in a shipyard in Genoa, promises an ‘Epic Sea Change for All’. And one of Branson’s aims is to attract cruise virgins like himself – he has set off on his latest business venture without ever having taken a cruise.

Scarlet Lady ( Photo Credit: Virgin Voyages)

Although the youthful, 68-year-old entrepreneur cannot predict what the average age of ‘sailors’ will be, he is looking forward to welcoming ‘young at heart people that want a good time’.

And one of his promises to future ‘sailors’ is that everything ‘is going to be five-star, but fun. And not at five-star prices.’

Let’s take a look at what to expect when the adults-only, 2,700-passenger, Scarlet Lady makes her debut with Caribbean cruises in 2020.

This is the witty name for Virgin Voyages’ programme of ocean-inspired rejuvenating experiences for ‘sailors’, from detox to retox all over the ship.

B-Complex features strength, spin, yoga and cardio training in its Built, Burn, Bike and Balance rooms, all with ocean views.

The serenity zone incorporates the Well-being Pool and fresh cold-pressed juices served up in the Gym and Tonic bar.

Redemption is the ship’s spa, inspired by an underwater cave. This is the place to channel your inner mermaid or merman in the hydrotherapy pool, mud room, salt room, cold plunge pools, on quartz beds and with spa treatments.

One of the many restaurants there will be on board is Pink Agave, a swish modern Mexican restaurant with electric blue metallic light fittings cascading over banquettes set in front of portholes.

And the Test Kitchen restaurant, with an entranceway lined with backlit images of an alternative periodic table, invites sailors to focus on the form, function and elements of food. Inside, the Test Kitchen’s laboratory-like environment is created with metallic furniture and glass beakers, test tubes and volumetric flasks.

Picking up the challenge to turn the tide on plastic that causes so much damage to marine life, Virgin Voyages will have no single-use plastic items on board. Plastic straws, water bottles, sauce packets, food packaging, drink-stirrers or takeaway coffee cups will all be banned.

Sailors will be offered complimentary filtered still and sparkling water at all bars and restaurants and water stations will be positioned all over the ship.

The livery of Virgin Voyages’ first ship embodies Scarlet Lady as a golden-haired mermaid. But as well as a symbol of beauty and glamour, she is also the embodiment of the Virgin Voyages Scarlet Squad Programme.

One of new cruise line’s missions is to help women break through the glass ceiling to take more leadership positions when recruiting starts in 2019. Positive discrimination will mean more female engineers and builders, marine technicians and hotel managers.

Richard Branson reinforced the message at a ceremony to reveal the ship’s name in Genoa. He said, ‘if there is a male captain and a female captain, and they are equally qualified, we will hire the female.’

Published by Mail Travel, a division of Associated Newspapers Limited, a company registered in England under company number 84121 with a registered office at Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT

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